The present invention relates to an appliance for preventing snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, and in particular, to an appliance which utilizes a headgear and mouthpiece that function as a unit to provide the necessary relief from snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,473, one of the most misunderstood ailments of man is the noisy breathing pattern that occurs in some persons during sleep. Afflicted persons may create so much sonic disturbance that they prevent sleep in bed partners, roommates, and sometimes persons several rooms distant. Throughout history snorers have been ridiculed, harassed and subjected to mounting hostility of other household members. As might be expected, an almost endless variety of well meaning or defensive attempts have been made to control snoring. Most such devices function by subjecting the unfortunate person to unpleasant mechanical or electrical stimuli as soon as snoring commences and are successful only to the degree that the snorer is kept from sleeping.
As has been pointed out a paper by David N. F. Fairbanks, M.D. ("Snoring: Not Funny-Not Hopeless", HOSPITAL MEDICINE, March, 1984), the noise of snoring comes from vibrations of soft tissues in the collapsible part of the upper airway, involving the soft palate, uvula, tonsils and tonsillar pillars, base of the tongue, and pharyngeal muscles and mucosa. Other medical literature expresses the opinion that, for most persons, snoring is caused by muscle relaxation that occurs during sleep. It is postulated that, as the muscles of the mouth, nose, and throat relax, the negative pressure that occurs during inspiration encourages the tongue to fall backward into the airway and vibrate against a relaxed and floppy soft palate and uvula. At the same time, the lateral pharyngeal structures are drawn inward, further constricting the airway and increasing the speed of air flow pat the vibrating structures.
The following conditions have been found to increase the problem of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Obesity further constricts the airway, increases the work of breathing and further compounds the problem. Temporary swelling caused by hay fever, inflamed sinuses, etc, also narrow the air passages and cause snoring in a person normally free from that affliction. However, the use of antihistamines promotes drying of the mucous membranes and further promotes vibration in the relaxed structures. Smoking, two byproducts of which are carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, tends to stimulate snoring by drying or irritating the air passages, inducing hypoxemia, and even causing the swallowing muscles to spasm. When an afflicted person uses central nervous system depressants, such as alcoholic beverages or tranquilizers before retiring, it has been found that the tendency to snore is exacerbated.
As socially unattractive as snoring may be, sleep apnea, which frequently accompanies snoring, is much more dangerous. In some cases, the relaxed tissues of the airway may so effectively seal off the passage of air to the lungs as to completely prevent inspiration. Persons suffering from this problem may actually stop breathing 30 to 300 times per night for periods of ten seconds to two minutes (three minutes may be fatal). Consequently, such persons spend as much half of their sleep time with abnormally low blood oxygen levels. Such persons resume normal breathing, albeit briefly, when they wake into a lighter sleep stage, causing the relaxed muscles to tense sufficiently to relieve the obstruction. As will be appreciated, persons with obstructive sleep apnea spend an insufficient portion of their nighttime hours in the deep sleep stages that are essential for good rest, awakening unrefreshed and feeling sleepy much of the day. In addition to the above, cardiac arrhythmias may occur during apneic episodes that can possibly lead to death in sleep.
One method of curing the related problems of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea has been the surgical removal of what has been considered excess tissue in the air passageway by means of palatopharyngoplasty. Although effective in many instances, the operation is painful, expensive, and fraught with the dangers accompanying any operation in the blood rich throat area. Other attempts to cure the problems of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea have involved the use of medications, such as the muscle relaxants referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,473. Other methods of treating snoring and/or sleep apnea have involved the use of mouthpieces, such as the mouthpieces of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,169,473; 4,304,227; 5,506,534; 5,117,816; 5,277,202; 5,313,960; 5,316,020; 5,365,945; 5,373,859; 5,427,117; 5,462,066; 5,465,734; 5,467,783; and 5,499,633.
In addition to the other methods for treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea discussed above, constant, positive air pressure machines (CPAP machines) are sometimes used to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by providing constant positive air pressure to the nostrils. The machine includes a hose, leading from a fan, to a headgear that holds the hose outlet near the nose. The nose is either covered with a mask or has inserts in the nostrils so that air under pressure passes from the hose into the nostrils. The pressurized air passing into the nostrils causes an air stint that holds the soft palate and uvula up from the windpipe so that strangulation does not occur. However, CPAP machines: make disturbing low humming noises; the excess air introduced into the nose and mouth dry out the mouth and may cause choking; and for a person who is claustrophobic, the placement of the equipment over the face and nostrils may create a horrendous feeling of anxiety.
Thus, there has been a need to provide a means for preventing snoring and obstructive sleep apnea that is effective, inexpensive, easy to use, and overcomes many of the problems associated with treatments for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea used in the prior art.